Brooklyn Nets vs Atlanta Hawks 4/2/22: Starting Lineups, Matchup Preview, Betting Odds, Predictions

Brooklyn Nets vs. Atlanta Hawks Matchup Preview (4/2/22)

Brooklyn just suffered a brutal loss to the Milwaukee Bucks at home after Giannis Antetokounmpo hit a game-tying, step-back three-pointer in the final seconds of the fourth quarter to give the Bucks all of the momentum heading into overtime. Now, it has to quickly turn around and clear its head for this matchup with the Atlanta Hawks to ensure it gets the best seed possible. Currently, the Nets sit in eighth place in the Eastern Conference but could drop to tenth if they lose this game, making their climb that much more difficult.

As of now, Atlanta sits in tenth place and does not have to worry about dropping out of the play-in games because New York is too far behind. Still, this game is essential for seeding purposes, and the Hawks should not take this lightly. They are still missing John Collins, who has yet to return to any significant on-court activity due to a foot injury. It is hard to say whether or not he will be back before the play-in games, but Atlanta, and its fans, reserve the right for optimism.

Brooklyn Nets vs. Atlanta Hawks Betting Odds

I have a simple, one-step process for betting on games that feature the Brooklyn Nets. The first question I ask myself is, “Are the Nets playing at home?” If the answer is “No,” I consider betting on them against the spread. In this case, they are on the road, so I will remain open-minded. This is a solid matchup for the Nets, as the Hawks play a similar brand of basketball. Brooklyn should be able to exploit the poor Atlanta defense, especially through Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. Durant and Irving have experience, poise, and limitless talent, and I see them recognizing the importance of this game and turning “it” on. I’ll take the Brooklyn Nets against the spread here, because this is a crucial game in the grand scheme of things.

How To Watch

Date: 4/2/22
Time: 7:30 PM ET
Arena: State Farm Arena – Atlanta, GA
Channel: NBA TV

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Brooklyn Nets Starting Lineup

PG: Kyrie Irving
SG: Seth Curry
SF: Bruce Brown Jr.
PF: Kevin Durant
C: Andre Drummond

Brooklyn Nets Analysis

Brooklyn is fresh off a tough home loss against Milwaukee and how it responds in a critical game against the Atlanta Hawks is of the utmost importance. Since the beginning of March, the Nets have the fourth-best offensive rating in the NBA, largely due to the lethal combination of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. Even a few teams in the Eastern Conference are punting some games to try and avoid playing the Nets in the first round, which is a wild concept, considering they are not guaranteed to make the playoffs. The impending return of Ben Simmons adds more fear to other teams in the East, as he is supposed to be ramping up his workload soon in preparation for the postseason. Anything can happen around this time of year, but this game is what matters the most at the moment. The Nets can grab this road win if they play slightly above-average defense on the Hawks. Atlanta has no shot at holding Brooklyn under 125 points, so all the Nets need to do is contain Trae Young and force role players to put up big numbers.

Atlanta Hawks Starting Lineup

PG: Trae Young
SG: Kevin Huerter
SF: De’Andre Hunter
PF: Danilo Gallinari
C: Clint Capela

Atlanta Hawks Analysis

If there is one thing to appreciate about the Atlanta Hawks, they at least know their identity: shooting and scoring. The Hawks rank first in the NBA in 3P% (three-point percentage) and second in offensive efficiency. Unfortunately, Atlanta does little else to help it win the majority of its games. Defense has been an issue all season, and the Hawks cannot get everyone to buy in on that end of the floor. It would truly shock me if the Hawks had similar playoff success to last season  (if they even make the playoffs), simply because they have been so poor defensively throughout the season. Currently, they rank in the bottom five in defensive rating this season; however, to their credit, they have been outside the bottom ten since the beginning of March. If they continue to build on that, then there’s a chance to make a bit of noise.

Brooklyn Nets vs. Atlanta Hawks Daily Fantasy Picks

Atlanta has a lot to worry about on the defensive end in this matchup with the Brooklyn Nets. The Hawks rank in the bottom five in opponent 3P% (three-point percentage) and opponent eFG% (effective field goal percentage) while allowing the second-most points to opposing shooting guards in the NBA. This makes Seth Curry a perfect DFS play in this game. Atlanta will have to zone in on Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, which should free up Seth for plenty of catch-and-shoot opportunities. If you take out the Utah game when Curry only played 12 minutes, he has averaged nearly 17 points in his past five games. I could definitely see a huge 20+ point Curry game against the Hawks, who can’t guard a stick!

It has been an impressive hot streak for Kevin Huerter recently; he has averaged 21.3 points, three rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.5 steals per game in his past four games. What has been even more impressive is his shooting split of 58/61/83 during that span! There should be plenty of opportunity for Huerter since Trae Young should be getting the most attention from the Brooklyn Nets’ defense. Brooklyn also allows the eighth-most points per game to opposing shooting guards, and Seth Curry is not much of a defender, so this is a positive matchup for Huerter. While the Nets have been better on that end of the floor since Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant have returned, they are